Legolas and Gimli's Journey on
by Malevolent Dreamer
Summary: Legolas and Gimli venture on to Helm's Deep, but they encounter much more trouble than they thought possible with Sauron gone. please don't flame it, this is my first fanfic.
1. Journey to the Cavern

This is my first fan fiction, so please don't be too harsh. R&R. I don't own anything.  
  
"Something doesn't feel right about this." Legolas stated as he and Gimli rode through the forest towards the caverns of Helm's Deep.  
  
"What doesn't feel right master elf?" Gimli asked the blonde hair, blue- eyed elf curiously.  
  
"I don't know," Legolas answered grimly, "I just have a bad feeling about returning to Helm's Deep."  
  
Gimli looked in the direction of Helm's Deep. What could possibly be wrong? He wondered. We got rid of the orcs, what could possibly not feel right?  
  
"I don't think there's anything wrong at Helm's Deep," Legolas explained suddenly, as though reading Gimli's mind, "I just think we should try to get there a different way, I just have an extremely bad feeling about this route."  
  
"Is the even another route to take?" Gimli inquired.  
  
Legolas ponders this for a second. "I don't know of one, this is the only one I've ever taken, but I think we should look into finding another route." Just as he says this about five dozen orcs appear, surrounding them completely.  
  
Legolas looks back at Gimli with a look that says 'I told you so'. Legolas directs his attention back to the orcs, thinking of the best way to try and outsmart them, as they were out numbered about thirty-to-one. Legolas looks around for a second and notices a low hanging branch. He whispers something to his horse in elfish and looks at the orcs as though provoking them. Just as they start advancing towards them he grabs the branch and Gimli and hoists them onto the limb. His horse takes of running towards the orcs who are so shocked they separate and make just enough room for the horse, who was now running too fast to shoot at, to get through. This distraction was just enough to allow Legolas to pull himself and Gimli higher into the tree and out of the orcs range of view.  
  
"Master elf, what are you doing, you know that dwarfs are afraid of climbing," Gimli protests loudly, "We're not all that graceful either, what if we lose our balance and fall?"  
  
Legolas glares at him for a second. "I suggest you lower your voice. You won't fall. I can assure you that, and as for your fear of climbing, I can also tell you, I'm doing all the climbing, I'm just dragging you along."  
  
Down on the ground the orcs look around confused and then look into the trees. Unable to see Legolas and Gimli the orcs slowly walk along looking in other places for the missing elf and dwarf.  
  
When all the orcs had gone and Legolas could now longer hear the orcs grunting and trudging along he dragged Gimli out of the tree and followed his horse's tracks to the edge of the forest where his horse was waiting. They had only ridden for about a half-an-hour when they were ambushed by what appeared to be the same group of orcs. This time they were not so lucky as to find trees to climb into. Legolas quickly fit two arrows into his bow and bent it back waiting for them to make a move. One of the orcs stepped forward, this one looked particularly different from the rest. Legolas assumed he was the leader and the other orcs would only attack on his command. Suddenly there was a sound of hoof beats and about a dozen riders came riding out of the forest led by Aragorn. One of the riders was Elrond and Legolas could only assume he was the one who had informed the rest of the riders that he and Gimli might be in trouble. Almost automatically the riders charged at the orcs and began a hard fight. Legolas swiftly helped Gimli off the horse and Gimli also began to fight.  
  
Legolas rode over to Aragorn. "It's a good thing you came here now, if not, we'd probably be dead."  
  
"Elrond informed me that you two might be in trouble, of course I had to come help." Aragorn claimed.  
  
It took almost all of Legolas' dignity to keep from laughing at this point. "You never could leave anything alone." He exclaimed.  
  
"No, I suppose not." Aragorn replied.  
  
By the time the orcs retreat about three-and-a-half-dozen lay dead on the ground and only three riders were lost, there horse off grazing on a nearby hill. Gimli and Legolas said their good-byes to the rescue group and continued on to Helm's Deep. 


	2. Unfortunate occurances

Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything in this story belongs to Tolkien. R&R  
  
Legolas and Gimli had only traveled towards Helm's Deep about and hour when Gimli stopped, claiming he was starving.  
  
"You never can satisfy your hunger can you?" Legolas implied with a laugh as he watched Gimli eat two pieces of lembas (an Elven Way-Bread).  
  
Gimli glared up at Legolas. "You try being a Dwarf and going for hours without eating anything."  
  
At this Legolas laughed again. He walked over to his horse and stared at the distant mountains. He could almost make out the opening of the caverns Gimli wished for them to explore. He didn't think the caverns would amaze him at all, as he was not a Dwarf and didn't have as much respect for mines and caves as Gimli did. Legolas was more looking forward to being able to return to the forest which they had once cut through. Gimli would not allow Legolas to stop and explore the forest then, but he promised to return there if Legolas would return with him to explore the caverns of Helm's Deep.  
  
"Are you quite finished eating yet?" Legolas inquired to Gimli, drinking his water as if he had never had a taste for it.  
  
"Fine, Master Elf, let's get going," said Gimli, as he finally gave in to Legolas' urge to leave. "as I know you are eager to get through the caverns so you may visit your forest."  
  
Legolas laughed once more and mounted his horse, helping Gimli up behind him. He whispered something to his horse, which now began to trot at a steady pace.  
  
They rode on for about two more hours before Gimli was able to even make out Helm's deep, where as Legolas could see the entrance to the caverns as though he were standing almost in front of it.  
  
As Legolas gazed at the mountains he noticed the inside of the caverns seemed to be glowing.  
  
"Does the inside of the cavern glow?" he asked Gimli curiously.  
  
"Only if the light of a fire is cast upon the walls." Gimli replied with a startled expression. "Do you see something with your elf eyes that I cannot?"  
  
Legolas sat in silence staring at the caverns for a few minutes. Then he bent and whispered elvish to his horse, which Gimli could only mean "faster" because at that moment the horse began to run at an alarming speed. Gimli grabbed Legolas in shock as so not to fall from the horse, mumbling something about "absurd elves."  
  
Within the time period of a half-hour they had reached the entrance of the caves. Legolas slid from the horse with the grace of any elf and slowly he guided his reluctant horse deeper into the caves. Gimli protested and attempted to jump from the horse but accomplished more of a tumble off the animal.  
  
"Do you really think your beast should be taken into the caverns?" Gimli questioned.  
  
"If he gets frightened he will leave, I will not stop him." Gimli made a sort of "humph" noise at this but did not make any further comment.  
  
They walked a little further into the caverns when Gimli suddenly looked up.  
  
"What is it?" Legolas questioned following Gimli's gaze.  
  
"All of the torches are lit," Gimli answered in an almost frightened voice, "they weren't lit last time I came down here."  
  
"Do you think there is somebody in here?" Legolas glanced at Gimli, a little shocked to see a look of fright on the Dwarfs face.  
  
"I don't know," Gimli replied warily, "Maybe it's really nothing to be afraid of, maybe somebody left the torches lit last time they came here."  
  
As soon as Gimli got the last word out he heard a sudden noise coming from a branch off on the right. He jumped and pulled out his axe a quickly as is possible for a dwarf to move, and Legolas fitted an arrow into his bow quicker than Gimli had ever seen anything move before.  
  
"Please don't hurt me," they heard a small voice beg. At the same time a small boy, no older than ten crept out of the tunnel.  
  
Legolas looked at the boy a little shocked. "What are you doing down here?"  
  
"I came in here to explore earlier this morning and I got lost. You're not going to hurt me are you?" The boy asked a little terrified as he looked at Legolas' bow and arrow.  
  
Legolas lowered his bow almost embarrassed and looked over at Gimli who lowered his axe as well. "No, we wouldn't hurt you." Legolas said finally.  
  
The boy looked relieved. "Can you help me find a way out of here?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes, we will help you. Here, come ride the horse, you look tired." Legolas beckoned to his horse.  
  
The little boy walked towards the horse both eager to get out of the cave, and cautious to trust these strangers. Finally he was next to the horse and Legolas helped him to mount it, then he lead the horse back along to the front of the cave with Gimli trudging along behind them. As soon as they got the boy to the mouth of the caverns the he jumped off the horse, excited to be out of the caves.  
  
"Where is your home?" Legolas asked the now anxious little boy.  
  
The boy said nothing, but pointed towards a cottage on a nearby hill. Legolas looked at the cabin, confused a little because he had not noticed it on the way to Helm's Deep. Maybe we were just in too much of a hurry. Legolas finally concluded as the boy ran towards the cottage. Legolas waited until the boy was safely inside then turned to Gimli. "Shall we reenter the caverns?"  
  
"Yes we shall." Gimli replied almost eagerly.  
  
They remained in the caverns for what Legolas considered too long, even though even he had to admit that the caverns were marvelous upon entering. When they finally reemerged into the sunlight Legolas glanced over in the direction of the cottage, only to realize that it was no longer sitting upon the hill. Legolas stared at the spot for a long while before bringing up the strange revelation to Gimli, who stared at the spot as though willing the cottage to reappear.  
  
"How, I wonder, does an entire cottage get up and leave it's spot upon the hill atop which it is supposed to be perched?" Gimli finally said, breaking the strange silence.  
  
"It is impossible I think, Master Dwarf," Legolas replied, "unless there never was a cottage perched atop the hill."  
  
"I saw the boy enter it with my own eyes, and dwarf eyes, though not as powerful as elf-eyes, do not often lie." Gimli declared with pride and wonder in his voice.  
  
"Consider this, Dwarf, the cottage was never there, but someone, a powerful wizard perhaps, bewitched the hill so it would appear that a cottage was sitting atop it."  
  
Gimli pondered this for a good minute. "But why, Master elf, would somebody wish to defy our eyes into believing there was something there that does not exist."  
  
By this time the sky was getting dark so the two of them decided to stop and sleep there. Legolas waited until Gimli was asleep then he went to the spot on the hill where he could have sworn he had seen the cottage. After searching for quite some time he had no luck in finding anything odd besides the missing cottage. He slowly made his way back to where Gimli was sleeping and turned to stare at the spot where the cottage no longer stood. He lay down and stared at the night sky until he heard a sound close by and jumped up, bow at the ready.  
  
"Gimli!" Legolas said in low urgent voice, trying to wake the sleeping dwarf.  
  
Gimli woke with a start and seeing Legolas at the ready he pulled out his axe.  
  
Legolas stared into the darkness and then shot off an arrow, which hit what was unmistakably an orc. Legolas replaced his missing arrow as quickly as he had shot it. Gimli, who could not see far enough into the darkness to see the band of orcs approaching, stood next to Legolas with his axe at the ready. Legolas continued to shoot arrow after arrow into the darkness, never once missing an orc. All of the sudden one of the orcs shot an arrow trough the darkness and hit Gimli in shoulder. Gimli yelped and dropped his axe, he quickly bent over and picked up the fallen weapon and ran at the nearest dark figure, as could make out quite a few by now. He swung his awe with one hand over and over until finally there was no more orcs left. Gimli dropped his weapon to the ground and gripped his shoulder, which was now filled with a white-hot pain. Legolas quickly made his way over to his friend. He ripped the cloth away from Gimli's wound and cringed at the smell. The arrow, which Gimli had been pierced with, had been poisonous. 


	3. Finding Help

Legolas bent down and carefully examined the wound. There was a slightly green color already forming around the injured area. Legolas took out some herbs that he kept in a pouch tied to his waist. He grabbed a stone that was sitting on the ground and began to grind the herbs into powder. He looked around for a second and picked up a leaf. He scraped the powdered herbs onto the leaf and added some water from his drinking container and watched as it began to form a pasty substance. He put this on Gimli's shoulder and wrapped a strip of cloth around the injured shoulder and heard the dwarf curse and complain about it burning. Legolas then whistled for his horse (if anyone knows its name could you please tell me), which had run away during the fight, and helped Gimli, who was having a very hard time mounting "the beast" because of the injury on his shoulder. Once he had Gimli situated he swung himself gracefully onto the horse behind him and whispered something into its ear. The horse began to gallop at top speed. Legolas had to support Gimli's weight as the poison was now having an effect on his body.  
  
"My axe, did you retrieve my axe?" Gimli asked in a slurred voice.  
  
"Yes, Gimli, I picked it up as soon as you dropped it." Replied Legolas, a little amused at the fact that the Dwarves life could be endanger and all he could worry about was his axe.  
  
"Good, I may need it yet again." At that moment Gimli lost consciousness and it became more difficult for Legolas to hold him steady.  
  
They rode for about five more minutes when a cottage came into view. Without second thought Legolas directed his horse to the front of the gate. He dismounted and pulled Gimli down as well. He carried Gimli to the door and set him down, almost relieved to be rid of the dwarf's weight. He knocked on the door then directed his attention to readjusting the makeshift bandage on Gimli's shoulder. After about ten seconds a young girl, probably in her early twenties, opened the door. She immediately saw Gimli and, without even asking about their late night arrival, opened the door wider and helped Legolas carry him inside and set him on the bed, which was in the middle on the one roomed house.  
  
"What happened?" The young girl asked in a whisper.  
  
"We got attacked by orcs and my friend was hit with a poisonous arrow on the shoulder." Legolas replied gesturing to the bloodstained bandage on Gimli's shoulder. "I was wondering if there was anything you could do to help me with him.  
  
"I do know a little bit about medicine." With that she made her way over to a cabinet and pulled things out, busying herself with something in her fireplace.  
  
A/N Sorry it's so short, I wanted to post something, I haven't updated in over a week because of school.  
  
Legolas4me-Thanks for the tip, I didn't realize about the mistake.  
  
Felfrin- I know my grammar wasn't very good, I think I fixed it.  
  
Everyone else, thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming. 


	4. Left Alone

Disclaimer-I OWN NOTHING  
  
"Quickly, take the armour off him." She looked over her shoulder to see that Legolas was already ahead of her. "Here," she handed him a bowl full of herbs, "grind those into powder and put it on his wound." Then without another word she rushed out of the door.  
  
Legolas chased after her, "Where are you going?"  
  
"To find help, we need real medicine or your friend could die. You stay here with him, if he wakes have him drink some of the tea on the fire, it should help to ease the pain."  
  
As she turned to walk off Legolas quickly shouted after her, "Take my horse, Arod! He will get you there swiftly."  
  
With that she rode off and Legolas turned back to his friend. He finished grinding the herbs and spread it over Gimli's wound then wrapped it. The he went to the fire and checked to make the sure the tea was still good.  
  
"Now lad, don't look so down, it's only a scratch, it'll heal in no time."  
  
Legolas spun around. "Oh! You're awake. Here," he poured some of the tea into a goblet. "Drink this, it will help you to recover your strength."  
  
"In a dwarf Master Elf! We need not to recover strength. And with that he attempted to get up, and only toppled over.  
  
Legolas couldn't help but laugh, he ran over and helped his friend back up. "Don't strain yourself, mellon nin! Here." He handed Gimli to goblet. Gimli took one sip and spat it out.  
  
"You expect me to drink this horrid tea?" He looked and Legolas "You know what a dwarf needs to recover his strength? Molt beer! That's right!"  
  
Legolas shook his head. "Just drink it and get it over with, or shall I pour it down you throat?" Gimli let out a defeated sigh and finished drinking the tea with a disgusted look on his face. "Good, now rest." Legolas took the goblet and set it down.  
  
"Where's the lady?"  
  
"She went for help"  
  
"I don't need help"  
  
"Yes you do, now go to sleep."  
  
"No I don't."  
  
"Alright, you don't, go to sleep."  
  
"Fine." With that Gimli closed his eyes and was snoring within seconds.  
  
Legolas looked out into the night, but could not see anything. "Please hurry." He whispered, he could sense his friends strength failing.  
  
A/N: For all who don't know, "mellon nin" is elvish for "My friend."Sorry about no updates, I couldn't find time to write with school and all, I hope you like this chapter, it's kind of short because my sister is rushing me, but the next one will be long. 


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